Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-12-26
THE FULLNESS OF TINE.
The Christ-Child Born at fsetfffe-
hem -Aubscriptien for a. New
church,,

hem - SuDscFlptieh rOF AZ Ns't
Church.
At the first Presbyterian Church,
yesterday forenoon, Rev. w. j. Chich-
ester delivered an instructive and eio.
suent Christmas discourse. He took
his text from that portion OF the
Gospel of Lake which tells about
Joseph and Mary going up from
the City OF Nazareth to pay
their taxes, a journey that was
destined to be memorable for all
time and in all countries from the
wonderful event that took place IN
the little Syrian village of bethlehem
Although that Insignificant village
even yet possesses nothing in its To-
cation or it's surroundings to give 1t
prominence, yet none Of the great
capitals of the world, rich as they are
in art and in all the. actualities and
adornments of civilization, are Pos
sessed OF the sacred historical
events Of Bethlehem. 1t was near
by this little village that Ruth cleaned
in the barley field OF Boaz; it was here
that Rachel, after her travail in bring
ING forth enjamin, died and was
buried it was near here that Abraham
had prepared the altar upon which to
sacrifice Isaac; but the great majestic
fact of all history was that Christ, the
Saviour OF mankind, was here born in
a manager. Aud there are few facts
more satisfactorily attested in history
than that the very spot where the
Christ-chid was born is accurately
known. The church Of st. Mary is built
upon the very place where the won
derful event took place, and the
chapel of that church, the most an
Gent edifice in the world, is on The
very spot where the manger was To-
Gated. That We may accept this as o
truth is based upon fats that would
not be questioned to rove any other
historical relation. re know that the
, Church OF st. Mary was built by
Constantine in the Fourth century.
Now tradition in village such
rs Bethlehem--not subject to the
mutations and changes OF more i'm
portant places-would be received by
the most careful historian as accurate.
1t is hardly possible that in three hun
drcd wears from the Nativity the sim
pie people of Bethlehem would not
have preserved every circumstance Of
anevent which brought such signal dis
tinction to their little village. But the
remarkable thing il that God should
have condescended to make his advent
in mortal shape among surroundings
SO humble. 1t is this which gives
the greatest and most striking proof t.
our mind of the truth OF the Gospe
story. The Son of Heaven came dowr
to the world to bring "peace and goot
will TO men" 1t was not merely ;ol
one class, but for all. The poor and
the lowly had been neglected, and fol
the first time the universal brother
hood of man was TO be proclaimed ant
exempliiied, and the apothegm, Glove
thy neighbor as myself" was to bt
uttered and put in practice. "Blesset
be the meek, for they shall inherit tn
earth" was the new doctrine
and there was a perfect fit
ness OF things that the nev
dispeneation should proceed from sta
tons and surroundings as humbl
and lowly as those that marked tn
tremendous event at Bethlehem
The angels appeared not to the grea
or distinguished OF the earth, but t
poor and ignorant shepherds watchin
their folds near the city OF David, an
the music of the spheres was first hear
by ears intoned, not by art, but by rule
that control the melodious emotion
of the human heart. Nor did Chrli
come until it was the fullness OF tim
for Him to come. After the fall, ma
was left to try to save himself by hi
own resources. The history OF th
human race from the time OF the 81
pulsion from Eden 70 the time OF til
fulfllment shows nothing but col
fusion and chaos- seasons OF gre'
spiritual effort, followed by seasons I